Automatic coffee maker



Patented Dec. 22, 1953 2,663,24eAk s AUTOMATIC COFFEE `'MAKER Y' y'Melviii SQJohn-son, Moon i Application November 2s, 1951, serial Nolzsaesr 5` Claims. (Cl. 919-310) This llVffntiQn. l'le t0 Coffe, makers. 0f the Vacuum 01' DEIQOMQTYP? Whr `.VVaelIl a 0011- nedlower container' heated so.y that it travels upwardly byxpansonfnsi svdischareed over coieelgrounds ina perforated upper container and in particular a oofiee'inaker wherein valves in a lower container ldrop by gravity when water is exhausted therefrom whereby water `percolating kthroughcoileev groundsv in anupper container drops into anuoutergshell or. utensil inA whichem the upper and lowercntainers are positioned.

` The purpose v4ofi this "invention is to provide an auxiliary. coilfeermakingI .that may be posi,- tioned in a kettle o other container whereby coffeeA may,beprnaliel I l necessity of maintaining costly coffee urns in a restaurant or thelike is obviated. d k i y The conventional coiee urn requires constant attention of `an attendantjand urns of ,this type,

suitable for, even a si'nall ,restaurant` are` com- 20 parativelyV costly. VWith 'this thought in mind this invention contemplates ,ai ooiee making unit that is adapted to be-poslitiened in a container such as a pot, kettle or other lutensil and which isr provided with anindependent heating'mement 25 whereby withA coffee grounds positioned in an upper perforated g,container of Lthe unit ,water may be heated inne-.lower container and discharged overthe reoiee' grounds.

The. object of this invention is,` therefore, to ao provide fan improvedcoftee maker that may be provided'as an independent-unit 4and that lmay be used in vessels or .otherf utensils ordinarily found in a' kitchen or-the like.

Anethenzebjeet ofthefinvennongis te provide a 3 5 self i contained coileermaking unitthat is` adapted to be placed in a container for making coffee therein and that may readily be removed, cleaned and relled with coffee grounds.

A further object of the invention is to provide an individual coffee making unit which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention embodies a coffee making f unit including a lower container having a heating element incorporated therein and iloat actuated valves in the upper end, an upper container having a perforated wall and suspended by a tube from the lower container and a handle having an electric cord through which current is supplied to the heating element in the lower container extended from the unit and adapted to support the unit in a surrounding vessel or the like.

Other features and advantages of the inven- `it isrequired and the 15 tion will kappear from. the following description taken infconnectionwith the drawings whereinz.

The drawingfisafverticalsection through the coffee maker showing the unit suspended by the handle thereof in azcylindrical container.

, Referringnowto they drawing `wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improvedicoiee makerk ofr this invention includes a doubleV :wall flower; container having a base formed withran upper' panel I0 and a lower panel II, an upwardly extended wall having an inner section I2 and an Outer section I3, a cover `I Il having a ballfloat valve 'I5 positioned to close an opening I6'there'imasimilar ball float valve I'I positioned to close' a passage 'I8 extended from thevballl retaining `c'agelliizto a tube 20 extended fromv Lthe lowerzzcontalner;anupper container having a perforated base-2i with' acylindrical wall 22 andaniupperpanel 23 carried by the` tube 20 andlhaving eatubular` section 24 extended upwardlyzfromthe base 2|` and surrounding the tube, andiatubularhandleZ which is attached to ther lower *container and through ywhich an electric cord26 extends. i, i f f The base `rand Aside wall of the lower container are formedi with* spaced. yelements `providing any open area surrounding'fthe container and an electricl heating elementj las indicated by the numeral 21 and which is provided with suitable insulating materialis' incorporatedfin thebaseand walls; as shown. in* thev drawingi 'The electric cord 26 is providedl v.with Lwires f28 and? `1291which are con--V nected to terminals of the electric heating element 2'I. .i Y v The lower containeris provided with a valve 39 which is positioned in an opening 3| in the lower end of the lower container and the valve is provided with an extended stem 32 by which it may be actuated from the upper part of a surrounding casing which is indicated by the numeral 33.

The covei` I4 of the lower container is provided with a threaded flange 34 and a hub 35 is provided at the center through which the tube 20 extends.

The iioat valve ball I5 is positioned in a valve cage 36 and the lower end of the cage is provided with openings 31.

The ball iloat valve I'I is also positioned in a cage I9 and the cage is provided with perforations 3B whereby with fluid in the lower container the ball Il is retained against a seat 39 and the ball I5 against the seat I6 so that the lower container is substantially sealed.

Upon the application of electric current to the heating element 21 water in the lower container is converted into steam and as the water expands it passes upwardly through the tube 20 and is sprayed over coffee grounds, as indicated by the numeral 40, in the upper container having the side walls 22 and base 2 I.

'I'he upper end of the upper container is provided with a baffle or shield 4| which covers air vents 42 and the shield is supported 'by a stud 43 having a nut 44 on the outer end.

The base 2 I, which forms a cover for the upper container is provided with a flange 45 that is threaded to the container and with the unit removed from the housing 33 the upper container may readily be removed from the upper end of the tube 20 and the base or cover removed to remove the coffee grounds and refill the upper container.

The handle or tube 25 of the unit is provided with a latch 4B that is pivotally mounted by a pin 41 between ears 48 extended from the side of the tube 25, thereby providing means for supporting` the unit in an upright position as illustrated in the drawing.

The outer casing. 33f is provided with a cover 49 having a flange 50 and a valve 5I is positioned in the lower end.

The tube I8 extended from the valve cage of the. ball float valve Il provides an air vent from the lower container to the tube 20 as shown.

With the parts formed in this manner the upper container is filled or partly filled with coffee grounds and uu'th the unit positioned in a housing or casing 33 water is supplied to the lower container and as current is supplied to the heatingl element 21 water from the lower container is forced into the upper container Where it passes downwardly through the coffee grounds and into the outer casing 33; The finished coffee is drawn from the valve or spigot 5| as it is required.

By this means the coffee making unit may be inserted in a utensil or other container and after making` coffee therein the unit may be removed, the coffee grounds replaced with fresh ground coffee and the unit placed in another similar container. This cycle of operation may be continuedV with fresh coffee being made by the unit as coffee inthe housing or utensil is, used therefrom;

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1; A coffee making unit comprising a lower container having a tube extended upwardly therefrom, an upper container having perforations in parts thereof positioned on said tube and supported thereby, a heating element in combination With said lower container, float actuated valves in the upper end of said lower container, a valve positioned in the lower part of the said lower container, a handle extended upwardly from the lower container in which wires for supplying current to the heating element are positioned and a vent with a baffle providing a shield therefor is provided in the upper end of the upper container.

2. In a coffee making unit, the combination which comprises a. lower container having a double wall with an electric heating element incorporated in the area between sections of the walls thereof, a cover having valve openings therethrough threaded on the upper end of the lower container, a tube extended upwardly from the cover of said lower container, ball oat valves positioned to close the openings in the cover of the lower container, one of said valves having a vent passage extended to a tube extended upwardly from the lower container, an upper container having a perforated lower end freely mounted on the upper end of said tube, vent openings in the upper end of the upper container, a shieldv positioned to cover said vent openings in the upper end ofV the upper container, andy a. tubular handle extended upwardly from the said lower container and through which an electric cord for supplying current to the heating element ofthe lower container extends.

3. In combination with a coffee making unit as described in claim 2, anv outer casing inwhic'liA said unit is positionedi 4. A coffee making unit as described in claim 2, wherein a latch is provided on the handle' for retaining the unit in operative position, in a utensil or the like'.

5-. A coffee making unit as descrlb'edin claim` 2, whereinv a valve is positioned i'n the lower end of the lowerunit.-

MELVIN S. JOHNSON.

References Cited inl the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 291,941 Rosebrook Jan. 15, 1884 1,077,289 Nash Nov. 4, 1913A 1,778,926 Wiegand Oct. 21, 1930 1,971,758 Olds Aug. 28, 1934 2,065,2l1 Carvalho Dec. 22, 1936 2,175,727 Graham Oct. 10. 1939 

